It has been a long week, but one I have enjoyed. One of our mandatory feast days, the feast of tabernacles (Sukkot), is an awesome time. We set up booths in which we live the entire seven days during the feast, as instructed by God in Leviticus 23:34 "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of the seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles, for seven days unto the Lord." It is the last day of the feast and the priest is performing the water pouring ceremony which had been gathered from the pool of Siloam, a cistern fed by the waters of the Gihon spring. This ceremony commemorates when the water came pouring out of the rock in the time of Moses when God provided for the thirst of his children while in the wilderness. Sshh............. the priest is quoting from Isaiah 12:3 as customary.
The priest: "Therefore with joy shall shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
A voice from the crowd: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
I recognize the voice immediately as the man they call Yeshua. There is great controversy here in Israel among the priests and pastors alike, as to whether He is the Messiah, spoken of in the Scriptures. The crowd is all astir as some are shouting "He is a prophet" and others proclaim "He is the Christ!". I hear in the background someone say, "Never a man spake like this one." My mind is a whirlwind as I ponder if He really is the chosen one........the Redeemer. I recall Jeremiah 2 "The priest said not, where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after the things that do not profit. Wherefore I will plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your childrens children will I plead, vs13 For my people have commited two evils, they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water." Are these Scriptures the Messiah speaking? They that handle the law knew Him not?........I don't know, I just don't know. I see Yeshua departing and I hear someone say, "He is going to the Mount of Olives"; I don't think I will go.....I must go home and ponder all I have heard and seen here today.....and study, yes that is what I need to do, go home and search the Scriptures.
I awake early and I am not sure how, I was up most of the night and my eyes hurt from the strain of reading by oil light. I really could not afford to burn so much oil in one night, but somehow I felt compelled. If He really is the Messiah, I must know. If it's true we will never be the same, .........ever. But, I must make sound judgment........no haste..........He has to fulfill the Scriptures.................has to. As I make my way into the temple I can see the crowd ahead, and I here in the distance Yeshua teaching, yet I cannot see Him. As I get closer I realize He is sitting............. "Oh, excuse me" I said, as someone bumped into me.
An elder Pharisee: "Get out of the way, let us through!"
Many Scribes and Pharisees are pushing their way through the crowd and two of them have hold of a woman.
The elder Pharisee: "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act".
An elder Scribe: "Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what do you say?"
Yeshua stooped over from where He was and with His finger started writing on the ground. He acted like He did not even hear them....wait a minute! What is He writing on the ground?......."Excuse me, pardon me, please let me through!"
A gruff man: "Get back, there is no room.....stop pushing!"
"I am sorry, please excuse me." I will just squeeze through, ummpp,.........right here. As I make my way closer I hear the Scribes and Pharisees raising their voices
Scribes and Pharisees: "What do you want us to do, do we take her out of the city and stone her?"
Yeshua standing to His feet: "He who is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her"
Yeshua stooped and started writing on the ground again, at that instance the Scribes and Pharisees started departing with looks of shame on their faces. With several scratches and a piece of torn clothing, I finally push through to where Yeshua was standing and there it was! Right there on the ground, their names! Yeshua was writing their names! As my knees hit the ground all I could do was sob and quote what my Master had just fulfilled. Jeremiah 17:13 "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters." With Yeshua's feet in my sight, I heard Him say to the woman
Yeshua: "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?"
The woman: "No man, Lord"
Yeshua: "Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more"
I recall the very next verse, verse 14 of Jeremiah 17 that I had just read last night, "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise." Like a glove the prophecy fit her perfectly as she walked away with a changed heart, praising Him for saving her life.
Copyright by Michael Jones
